Chapter 96: A beautiful woman is pretty even as a little girl.

Translator: Soafp

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While I was asleep in bed one morning, I was suddenly awakened by a sharp pain in my abdomen, and with a groan, I opened my eyes. And there, in front of me, was the young version of Karen with twin tails. I immediately realized that she must have taken one of Mel’s strange potions. This sort of thing happens quite often. In the story, there are many instances of everyday chaos where someone accidentally drinks a research concoction, leading to situations like this. This time, it’s the “infantilization” scenario. However, infantilization often carries a considerably sad undertone…

As I was thinking about this, she grabbed my shoulder with both hands and shook me.

“Let’s play!! Hey hey, let’s play!!”

Her face was that of a child, yet even at this stage, she had a considerable amount of cuteness. She was probably around kindergarten age? I could already see a glimpse of the future where she would be at the Ruby level of cuteness.

Normally, she would act standoffish and aloof, but now, she seemed lively and full of energy. She used to be mischievous and prone to pranks when she was a child, and it seemed her spirit had rejuvenated. While a typical protagonist in a fantasy scenario might get confused and ask who the other person is or go back to sleep, I’m different.

“Good morning, Karen-senpai. What would you like to play?”

I adapted quickly. As I asked her that, her eyes sparkled, and she eagerly started talking.

“Um, well! Um, well! Let’s play house!”

It’s a classic choice, albeit a bit cliché. But playing house is cute, right?

“Sure, let’s do it. What role should I play?”

“Um, well, um, well. You can be the hero, and I’ll be the demon lord. You defeated me, the demon lord, as the hero, but on the way back, you were betrayed by your party members and they stole your credit. You were feeling lost, and that’s when you met the former demon lord, me. I became your familiar because I wanted revenge on humans for a reason like that.”

“Understood. But before we start, can I quickly change clothes and brush my teeth? Can you wait for me in the living room?”

“Yeah! I’ll be waiting!”

With that, she hopped off me and dashed downstairs. Is that really playing house? I’ll leave that question aside for now. Well then, let’s gear up and prepare to play with her.

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After getting myself somewhat prepared and heading to the living room, Karen approached me. I lowered my gaze to her and knelt down as she hugged me.

“Okay, let’s play! Ehehe. Please pat my head.”

She was so adorable that I forgot to blink for a moment. After patting her head, I heard some running footsteps from another direction. When I looked, there was a tiny silver-haired fairy. She, too, had become smaller due to the effects of whatever Mel’s potion was.

“Good morning! Izyoi-kun!”

Though her speech was a bit garbled, her elegance and cuteness remained intact. Her hair was glossy, and she seemed a bit mischievous but incredibly cute. She might have a limited vocabulary, but there’s no denying her cuteness. By the way, she used to have a bit of a lisp when she was younger, and when she got excited, she could speak very quickly.

With Karen’s confirmation of infantilization, I assumed the other two were also affected. I turned my gaze towards the sofa, where the two infantilized girls were sitting together, watching Cinderella on TV. There was a small potted cactus on the table in front of the sofa, and four cups with leftover water in the kitchen. It seemed they had also turned into young children. They would likely return to normal in a day or so, so I needed to keep an eye on them until then.

“Izyoi-kun, let’s play house!”

“Wait a minute, Izyoi is supposed to be my familiar!!”

“I don’t know. Bleh.”

“Katchin.”

Before I knew it, I seemed to have become a familiar. Kohaku was saying “akkanbee” to tease Karen, who was visibly annoyed. Holding onto both of them, who were fidgeting, required some steady support.

After calming them down, I managed to sit on the sofa. Suddenly, our pretend play started. Kohaku began talking while nestled in my arms.

“Welcome home, my love! Oh, by the way, Izyoi-kun and I are dating with marriage in mind. We’re currently living together in a single-family house.”

“Ah, I understand.”

“Wait a moment! I was the one who found Izyoi and turned him into my familiar. And now, we’re acting it out, where Izyoi falls in love with me, and we have a forbidden love between a demon lord and my familiar!”

“I’ll take on both roles!”

So, I decided to juggle both roles. Let’s see if I could make both aspects work in our make-believe game. Meanwhile, Moegi and Aoi were playing together quietly, watching Cinderella or admiring the cactus.

“Is this one called Sabo-san?”

“Yes, Sabo-san and I have known each other for ten years. We go way back.”

“What? That long? That’s amazing!”

Younger Moegi had a similar reserved and caring personality as she does now. Aoi was still straightforward and loved sports and games. Neither of them had changed much.

“Look over here! Izyoi-kun!”

“Sorry.”

“Okay, let’s continue. So, darling?”

“D-Darling?”

“Mou, please call me ‘Honey’ properly!!”

It seemed like she had various scenarios in her mind, but this was getting quite embarrassing. “Honey” felt a bit much, especially when dealing with her as a young girl. I’d have to endure this for now and swoon later.

“Um, could we maybe make it a bit lighter in tone for our pretend play? Like a couple in their first month of dating, all cute and shy?”

“If that’s what Izyoi-kun wants…”

She cheerfully agreed with my idea. While I was focusing on Kohaku, Karen puffed out her cheeks in protest. So, this time, I turned my attention to her.

“I’m going to make a contract with you, right? Be thankful. It’s unheard of for a demon lord to kiss someone like that… But, maybe not…”

She tried to bring her lips to mine, but she was embarrassed and stopped after all and covered her face with her hands. Kissing comes with the messenger contract, but let’s just say I did that. The kissing of a young Karen is like saying to myself that I want to be taken care of by the police.

For a while, I played with them, playing the role of a vengeful hero, but also playing with the two first-time couples. Then Karen got bored and seemed to want to stop playing demon lord and wanted to play something else. Kohaku seems to want to continue playing with her, and a cute fight between the two young girls begins.

“I want to play tag! Let’s play tag!”

“I still want to play house!”

“Okay, let’s do both!”

“How do we do that?”

“I’ll carry Kohaku while we play house, and Karen-senpai, you can be the ‘it’ in tag. How about that?”

“”Sure!””

First, Karen jumped off the sofa and started running, since she was the one who was supposed to escape. However, she immediately tangled her legs and fell down. Then her voice immediately went up and her face turned red and she started to cry.

“Ouchie, it hurts! Waaah!”

“Are you okay!?”

I picked her up and tried to soothe her by patting her head and gently shaking her. Her emotions were quite unstable, likely due to her younger mental state. She could cry over things that wouldn’t usually make her cry.

“””….”””

The three of them- Kohaku, Moegi, and Aoi – looked at me as Karen sobbed in my arms. Whether it was a coincidence or not, I couldn’t tell, but for the time being, I continued to comfort Karen by holding her gently. Then, Kohaku got off the sofa and deliberately ran a few steps before pretending to fall.

“Waaaah, it hurts! Waaaah!”

It was a bit stiff, but I couldn’t just leave her like that. There was a chance that she might actually be in pain. So, I continued to hold both of them for a while longer. Karen eventually stopped crying, and Kohaku seemed happy as she rubbed her cheeks. Seizing the opportunity, I helped them both sit on the sofa.

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The two of them had played quite hard and ended up falling asleep. Although they seemed like they didn’t get along at times, there were moments when I worried about them. However, when they slept, they held each other’s hands and seemed to sleep comfortably. It had been an energetic time, but I personally didn’t feel tired at all. Being able to interact with the “Masou Shoujo” was an honor, even if it meant dealing with their younger forms. Younger girls were the best.

I wanted to take a picture of this moment, but that would be quite awkward, so I decided against it. Despite shrinking in size, Moegi and Aoi had remained pretty much the same. Aoi was quiet and sought friendship, which was why she had been playing contentedly with Moegi until now. As for Moegi, she had a wide field of vision and a kind personality, so she probably wouldn’t ask me for anything. However, she was still as clingy as ever.

Now, these two must have been considerate of the younger Kohaku and Karen. That’s why they had waited until Kohaku and Karen had gone to sleep before expressing their desire to play. Well, let’s play together properly. After all, I would enjoy it too.

“Alright, let’s play together.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah.”

I set up the game so that it could be played on the TV screen and handed them the controllers. Since Kohaku and Karen were sleeping on the sofa, I lowered the volume a bit and started playing. Before we started the game, Aoi sat on my lap.

“Is it okay if I sit here? Well, I’m already sitting.”

“Of course. Would you like to sit too, Moegi?”

“Eeh?! No, it’s okay…”

“Really?”

“Yeah, let’s start the game instead.”

Upon her urging, we started the game. It was a fighting game where characters tried to knock each other off the screen. I wanted to show off a bit, but… Aoi was too strong. Moegi also had exceptionally high learning abilities, so I ended up getting beaten badly.

Combos from throws, throws leading to knockouts, and throws leading to ring outs… It got a little sentimental.

But since they were having fun, it was perfectly fine. After we finished playing, they both said:

“Thank you…”

“I had fun too.”

They smiled as they thanked me, so it ended up being a positive experience. Their mysterious charm naturally made me smile as well. Suddenly, the two who had been sleeping woke up.

“I want to play the game too!”

“Me too!”

Kohaku and Karen, with wide-open eyes, were suddenly full of energy again. The game could accommodate up to five players, so there was no problem. This time, I decided to show them my dignity as the older one and win, but… well, I couldn’t beat the five of them. I got beaten badly again.

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This was the first time. Sleeping together with four of them. In my past life, I used to think about how happy it would be if girls like these cuddled with me as I read “Masou Shoujo” like this. Of course, with these young girls, my feelings were pure, and I could sleep with a clear conscience. On the flip side, it was also a dangerous situation with these girls in their usual forms. The other day when I slept with Kohaku and Karen, I managed to endure it in Sage Mode, but at that time, I really came close to crossing the line.

Dinner and bath were all taken care of by the girls themselves. I was worried if it was safe, but “The Story” had mentioned that even though they were small, their intelligence and experiences didn’t diminish, so I trusted them to handle it. Later, when it was time to sleep, Kohaku looked at me with upturned eyes and said she was scared, so she wanted to sleep with me. That’s why we all ended up sleeping in a row together.

They were all making peaceful sleeping sounds. Kohaku and Karen clung to my arm, and Aoi was behind Karen. However, Moegi seemed to have trouble falling asleep; she was gazing up at the ceiling.

“Can’t you sleep?”

“Yeah…”

“Is it the bathroom?”

“No, it’s not. That’s rude of you.”

“I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“If you can’t sleep, how about some warm tea?”

“Is it okay?”

“It’s fine. Let’s go to the living room together.”

“In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer…”

I led her to the dining table and had her sit on a chair. I handed her a cup of hot water, and she started sipping it slowly while cooling it down with her breath. She drank quietly, wearing a somewhat lonely expression. I had a vague understanding of the reason, even though it wasn’t explicitly mentioned.

Kikawa Moegi was someone who was very starved for affection. Anyone could see that from her usual behavior. However, the root of these feelings lay in her love for her mother and the loneliness she felt. As she grew up, she unconsciously transferred these emotions to love for her friends and comrades. That’s why even though she had feelings of missing her mother and wanting to see her, she could fill that void with other things.

But the current Moegi couldn’t do that. While having the three of them around had helped ease her loneliness somewhat, it still prevailed. The situation we were in right now, with the three of them sleeping, could be considered one of the most challenging for her.

In “The Story,” even when she was transformed into a child, she cried alone at night. When she was having fun with everyone, she genuinely enjoyed it, but at night when she couldn’t sleep, she would cry from loneliness, thinking about her memories with her mother.

She just remained silent, probably gradually reminiscing about the past. Nights, in particular, were her most cherished memories. She wasn’t scared because her mother was there. It was a warm, golden memory.

I held her and gently stroked her head. I knew I couldn’t replace her mother, but I couldn’t help but wish that her loneliness and those feelings would disappear, even if just a little.

“……Something wrong?”

“Well, there’s no particular reason…”

And like that, I continued to hold her and gently rocked her from side to side until she fell asleep. Until she slept. Her voice overflowed as she sobbed quietly.

“U….ugh”

“…”

In the story, she couldn’t sleep alone and ended up returning to her original form by morning. Her memories as a child wouldn’t stay with her. But she had a slight sense of regret, although she believed it would eventually fade away, so there was no need to mention it. It would remain a mysterious experience for her.

In my opinion, it’s crucial not to leave her alone in this situation. Ideally, it should be left to the three of them, but it would be physically taxing to wake them up, given that they were already asleep, and keep them awake all day. Therefore, I made the decision to stay awake and keep her company, even though it was far from ideal.

I knew that I had earned some trust from Moegi. There were moments when I couldn’t resist stealing glances at her legs, which would occasionally earn me a sharp look from her, but in general, I conducted myself as a gentleman, so I was confident in my ability to comfort her.

“Ugh…”

“…”

I held her in silence. Gradually, she wrapped her arms around my neck and began to cry in earnest.

I continued to pat her back and told her stories, just like her mother used to. Eventually, her eyes became slightly swollen, but she had fallen asleep. I gently placed her on the futon and continued to pat her stomach softly.

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[Moegi PoV]

I woke up. I tried to remember what happened yesterday, but my head felt a bit fuzzy. I couldn’t recall anything… But then, I noticed that I was naked, and there was someone next to me… Eeh!? T-this1? After…?

I looked around in a panic, and everyone else was also naked. Upon closer inspection, there were scraps of clothing scattered everywhere. What on earth happened? Did we engage in some kind of special 5P…? A 5P?

No, it couldn’t be that. This is… As I thought about it, vague memories flashed through my mind. A hazy recollection, like watching a video through a dirty lens. He was… and I was crying… I can’t remember anything more…

This is… That’s as far as I can remember within my limited recollection. Yesterday morning, Aoi-chan was talking to everyone about the health benefits of drinking hot water, and we decided to try it. We boiled water from the refrigerator, and then… I can’t remember much after that. It must be Mel-chan’s doing. I told her not to put her experimental stuff in the refrigerator…

With these thoughts in mind, I put on my magical attire and hurriedly dressed everyone else. This way, even if he wakes up, it should be fine. I looked at his face as he slept next to me…

I can’t remember. I can’t remember, but you did something, right? It’s not in my memories, but it’s in my heart. It’s warm.

Why? Why do you always treat me so preciously? Why? I’m happy, I’m honored, I’m touched. But… if you keep doing this, I won’t be able to deceive myself anymore…

I felt a frustrating inability to express my feelings completely.